How does sponsored influencer marketing on Instagram stimulate followers’ willingness to search for information?

Key finding of the study

The commercial orientation of influencer-created content reduces follower trustworthiness towards them and the perceived credibility of the content, reducing follower willingness to search for product-related information.

Authors

Gamage T.C., Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

Ashill N.J., School of Marketing and International Business, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Summary of the study

Despite the increasing popularity of influencer marketing, there exists a lack of understanding of how content created by social media influencers stimulates the pre-purchase behaviour of followers. Based on the stimulus-organism-response framework, this paper aims to address this lacuna by examining how influencer-created content affects the willingness of followers to search for more information related to the posted product. A cross-sectional research design uses a web-based questionnaire among Instagram users in Sri Lanka. Structural equation modelling with analysis of moment structures 27 and SPSS PROCESS macro are used for hypothesis testing. Findings indicate that the commercial orientation of influencer-created content reduces follower trustworthiness towards them and the perceived credibility of the content. Mediation results demonstrate that the commercial orientation of influencer-created content negatively affects follower willingness to search for more information related to the posted product through trustworthiness and perceived credibility.

Published in  

Journal of Product & Brand Management (SSCI, Impact Factor: 5.354)

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